A number of prior art references provide means for providing percussive sounds as a rhythmic accompaniment to the melodic and harmonic sounds produced by traditional means on a strummed or plucked instrument.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,375,747 is for a rhythm beating attachment for guitars and more specifically to an improved form of guard plate for a guitar to be used in lieu of the conventional guard plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,369,304 discloses a percussion addition for a stringed instrument, such as a guitar, comprised of a hollow disc with a face, and a hollow support adapted for connection to an off-set sound hole in a stringed instrument. The percussion addition may be provided as a kit with interchangeable percussion additions.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,441,293 describes a music and percussion system including a fully functional stringed hollow-body electric musical instrument, a floor unit, an interface unit, and connecting cables. The instrument includes a microphone, a pickup, and a plurality of transducers, also known as acoustic drum triggers that are mounted on selected interior surfaces within the instrument neck and body.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,923,616 relates to a stringed instrument for producing rapid tempo and more precise rhythmic strumming. The shape of the strumming apparatus allows simultaneous contact of two or more strings from a plurality of strings, and thereby allows chords to be more efficiently produced. In combination with the strumming apparatus, the stringed instrument includes an instrument body with recessed components on the front surface of the instrument body. Combining the strumming apparatus and an instrument body as in the present invention allows a user to achieve greater rhythmic precision and a faster tempo vis-a-vis faster paced strumming of the strings.
None of the devices in the identified prior art references appear to provide the capability to create the desired sounds with the desired timing and subject to the player's discretion as are provided by the present invention.